The Soul's Midnight
by xXEmiShaeXx
Summary: "I'm sorry. Jeez." I muttered, while looking at the ground. "Just remember Dani; I hate sharing my toys." I glanced up and caught a smirk that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. Stupid cat-eyed, good-looking twin. He'll be the death of me I swear...
1. Damn Hitachiins

***disclaimer: No I do not own the Ouran High School Host Club. But I REALLY REALLY would like to...**

**_The Soul's Midnight _**

**Chapter One: **

**Damn Hitachiins **

**Date: Thursday, December 24, 2010**

**Time: 3:00 a.m. or; the soul's midnight.**

_Is there anyone who will hear me out? _

_… _

_Anyone who will believe that what I say is true? _

_… _

_I didn't do it. _

_…_

_That's what I told them. _

_… _

_It wasn't my fault. _

_…_

_But I guess you don't know what I'm talking about. _

_…_

_We should start at the beginning… _

_… _

_So we begin… _

_… _

_So _I _begin… _

_

* * *

_***More or less 3 years earlier* **

**Date: ****Tuesday, January 5, 2008**

**Time: ****3:20 p.m.**** a few minutes after school gets out. **

It wasn't like I didn't know what they did. I knew fully well that they hurt every single girl who ever wrote them a love letter. Heck, I had even watched them do it before. I had seen, for myself, just how very cruel they could be. But I thought…Maybe I could be different? I thought perhaps since I also had a twin and I understood them they'd…Somehow know I was different. That was why I had decided to write the letter. I could identify with them. I knew how it felt…To not have anyone know who you are…To always be mistaken for the _other _twin. I suppose you're thinking, 'What the heck is she talking about?' I guess I should explain.

I'm Danielle Fujioka. I know what you're thinking. Danielle? American name. Fujioka? Japanese name. Well, you see, I was adopted. And my sister, of course, was too. We were living in America. But…I had this opportunity to go to Ouran. It was…Well a scholarship type thing. And since I had relatives (Well…Not really…They were Fujiokas…) that lived near Ouran my adoptive mom said that I could go. And even though I knew that I would miss my twin with all of my heart I decided to go. You might want to know a little more about my twin right? Her name is Delia Fujioka. We both have interesting long blond hair that is light blond on the top and dark blond on the bottom. Our eyes are exactly the same too. Blueish-gray and silver when we're mad. We're both the same height; about 5 feet tall. And we were in the seventh grade. I had to admit…I was ready to give up on Ouran. I missed my twin, my sister, my best friend too much, and…I really missed my own bed. The only reason I stayed…Was because of…Him. He was the only thing that was keeping me from leaving.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those stupid rabid fangirls who, upon seeing an attractive guy claim to quote, "Totally like fall in love with him." End quote. No. It was very different. I was sure…That I could tell them apart. You see, I was not stupid. I knew that if I just wrote a letter to them and I couldn't tell them apart that they would _never _accept me into their world. (How was I so sure of this…Hmmn…Well, if there was a boy who wanted to come into Delia's and my world…I'd at least want them to be able to tell me and my twin apart…I mean it's just basic courtesy…) So in the beginning I watched. If we were in science class, I'd observe how they would act. I'd listen to what they'd say and how they went about things. And watching them paid off. I learned that even though they acted as if they were one it was just that; an act. They wanted people to be able to tell them apart…And then they didn't want people to be able to tell them apart. I realized that they were so much like my twin and me, that I…Started to like him even more. Wait. You might want to know which twin I liked huh? Right.

Hikaru Hitachiin.

I don't know what it was that drew me to him but…I mean Kaoru is great too. They're both cute, but Hikaru…He just…I guess I just identified with him the most. There's always a way to tell twins apart. It might only be something so subtle and so small that any fangirl who was infatuated with the boys' looks could skip over it…But anyone who, like me, cared enough to notice and want to know the individual, could find it. And I did. At first I found that their voices were different. Kaoru's voice being more baby-ish, shy and subdued, while Hikaru's was bold, daring and slightly lower than his brothers was. So I could tell them apart by their voices. So what. That didn't matter. Therefore, I kept quiet, in the background. I needed to know how to tell them apart in different ways. I needed to be able to tell them apart even when they were not talking. Soon I realized that Hikaru was the leader. His actions were always slightly more mischievous than his younger brothers. I realized that Kaoru had a deeper understanding of people than Hikaru did. I now knew how to tell them apart.

This brings us back to where I was now; standing alone and waiting for Hikaru to show up. I knew the tricks that they played; how they messed with girls' heads…But I was sure he'd know I was different.

I was sure my letter to him was different from any other he had received.

_ Hikaru, _

_ I'm sure you get letters from silly rabid fangirls confessing their love to you every other day. In fact…I'm positive. Because I've seen it for myself. Many times. I'm writing this, not to confess my undying love to you, mind you, but to tell you…That I care. That I have cared. For a very long while. That I…Understand. Please meet me by the rose bushes on the east side of campus at __3:25__ today. _

_-Nearly Unnoticed _

I know the name I signed looked like something you'd write to Dear Abby, but I didn't want to put my real name. He wasn't exactly nice to me in school but he wasn't exactly hostile either. He was…Neutral to me. I was just very nervous about what he would do…

"Hey. Was this from you?" I heard a monotone sound from behind me. I froze and then turned around as fast as I could. Hikaru Hitachiin. It was him. He was here. This was it.

The time of truth.

I swallowed my nervousness and straightened my spine. I nodded. A slight smirk graced his features. If he said the words that I had heard him say so many times before…My heart was beating against my ribcage.

"I'm sorry, but I'm Kaoru. You must have gotten our desks mixed up…" I was so shocked that I froze. He couldn't have. He was supposed to be different… "You see, Hikaru already has a crush on someone else. But I think you're cute and I've had a crush on you. So I was wondering…If you could like me instead?" He asked with a fake smile.

When I heard those words…I felt many different things.

I felt sad.

I felt shocked.

I felt surprised.

I felt angry.

I felt stupid.

But mostly….I felt betrayed.

I felt like…I felt like I should have known. Like I should have known that I couldn't trust them.

I didn't know I was crying until I felt something wet slide down my cheek.

"Well? What do you think…?" I heard Hikaru ask. As I slowly raised my eyes to his I heard him trail off. As soon as he saw my face, his eyes widened. "You're…A-Are…You…?" He swallowed in surprise. My mind wasn't processing what he was saying. "W-Why are you crying…?" He asked. I suppose he wasn't use to girls crying until he and his brother ganged up on them. I took a step away from him. He stared at me with confusion on his face. I wasn't capable of thinking clearly at that point. There were so many different emotions swirling around at the surface…Hikaru took a step towards me.

"Why?" I didn't realize that I was the one speaking until I repeated my question, "Why…?" My voice was small and broken. Maybe…Maybe he had a good reason for doing it again…To me. Maybe…I desperately needed something to believe in. I didn't want to make a scene…I was not a dramatic person.

Hikaru stared at me, "I don't know what you're talking about." He replied curtly. My eyes hardened. I might be hurt…But I couldn't stand it when people did this to me.

"Don't lie to me." I said a chill seeping into my voice.

"I'm sorry, but I still have no idea what you're talking about." He stared me in the eye. My own eyes narrowed.

"How can you stand there and lie to my face?" I asked in a low voice. He was about to respond when I raised my hand signaling for him not to answer. "You know what? Never mind. Don't answer that." Then without looking away from his eyes I called, "Hey Kaoru! Come out and play!" Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise as I brushed the few lingering tears away. I refused to show them any more weaknesses. Hikaru's twin didn't come out. I sighed. "Kaoru! I know you're there! Come out come out wherever you are!" I called in a mocking sing-songy voice. A few moments later Hikaru's younger twin stepped out from behind a bush. He stood there looking from me to his twin uneasily. "It's okay. I don't bite…Much." I gave him my best Cheshire cat grin as I made a 'come here' motion with my index finger. Cautiously, the younger twin walked to his brother's side and stood there shuffling his feet. He seemed confused.

"I'll explain what happened for your sake. Your brother tried to make me believe that he was you, and then he asked me, while still pretending to be you I might add, if I would rather like _you _instead." I gave him a disgusted look and then tacked on so that he wasn't offended, "Don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against you Kaoru. It's just…The thought of…Well really what your brother suggested. That twins are interchangeable and cannot be told apart. Or that they do not have any kind of individual worth. It…Disgusts me." I shook my head.

Kaoru was wide-eyed as he stared at me listening to what I was saying, "How…How can you tell us apart?" He asked in his baby-ish voice. I smiled coolly at him.

"I'm observant. And every twin can be told apart. You just have to…Care enough to notice the little things." I added in a softer voice. I closed my eyes for a moment. Then my eyes hardened.

"You seriously screwed up." I told Hikaru as I stared him in the eye. He looked like he was in shock. The Hitachiin's were shocked and I was…Well I felt drained. Completely drained. "But I guess some good did come out of this." I smiled in dark humor.

"And what is that?" Kaoru asked hesitantly.

"Well, now I know that no one can be trusted. And I finally get to go home." I grinned. "You two were my last straw." I chuckled darkly.

"What do you mean, 'No one can be trusted?'" Kaoru asked. I wonder why Hikaru wasn't saying anything.

"Isn't it obvious? Apparently no one can be accepted into our world. Not even our own kind." I replied sadly. Except Haruhi and my mother. They were always the exceptions. I had thought that all mother's could tell their twins apart so I didn't really listen to her…I thought no one could tell us apart except mom…Until I met Haruhi for the first time. Haruhi was the one, after all, who taught me that my twin and I were separate beings.

"Who's, 'Our?'" Hikaru asked. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"So now you speak?" I asked sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at him, "I have a twin dumbass." I glared at him. "We're identical. We share everything from clothes to food. She's my best friend and, apparently, the only one I can trust." I shook my head as I prepared to walk away.

"Wait…You're a twin?" Kaoru called as I turned my back on them.

"Yes. Why do you think I even bothered with you two?" I sighed in frustration. "My cousin…She wanted me to make friends...She wanted my world to be bigger. Naturally, I didn't want to make friends with the girls; they're all…Crazy. Then I saw you. And I thought…For a moment that maybe…_Maybe _I could invite someone into our world…But now I realize that I can't. Because, if someone like us doesn't understand…Who else would?" I rubbed my forehead in exasperation. I heaved a sigh as I straightened my spine. "But none of that matters now." I nodded to the Hitachiin's. "Good Bye." I muttered and then I walked away.

I walked away from the Hitachiin brothers.

They didn't try to stop me.

I was pissed beyond belief…But I was also sadder than I had ever been.

I think…That was the day I stopped believing in love.

* * *

**A/n: Okay. Yes. I know exactly what you're all thinking, "Why EmiShae why? YOU'RE NOT EVEN DONE WITH YOUR OTHER HOST CLUB FANFIC!" I'm horrible. R&R! **

**~ XOXO**** EmiShae **


	2. Kill Me With A Feather

**A/n:******** I am so so so so so so sorry you guys...I know I'm such a friggin' loser...Forgive me...? Maybe not...? Again sorry :(**

___Review From Last Chapter:_

___I walked away from the Hitachiin brothers._

___They didn't try to stop me._

___I was pissed beyond belief…But I was also sadder than I had ever been._

___I think… That was the day I stopped believing in love._

* * *

******Chapter Two:**

******Kill Me With A Feather**

*******More or less 2 years after "The letter incident," as the twin's call it***

******Date: Sunday, February 14, 2010**

******Time: 3:00 p.m.**

I was happy.

No.

I was ecstatic!

I was hopping up and down I was so excited.

"We're going to see Haruhi! YAY WE GET TO SEE HARUHI!" My mirror image shout-sang. I laughed with her.

That's right I was back in Japan.

The Fujioka twins were here baby!

And we were so ready to see our favorite cousin!

You must be confused. Here let me explain.

I used to go to school here. However, that was like, more than two years ago. I was over that and all of the drama that came with it. Completely. Yep, this was me…Being over it.

Okay. I lied. I wasn't _completely _over it, but what normal girl completely forgets her first crushed heart? (Or, in my case, myfirst and _only _crushed heart…That was induced by someone else anyway...) So I wasn't over it, but I was…Past it. Yeah. That's a good way to describe it. I mean, if I saw Hikaru Hitachiin, I wouldn't deck him, or burst into tears or anything. I don't believe in holding grudges. So I try to just, let things go. Life's too short.

But, no more thinking about Hikaru Hitachiin! I didn't come to Japan for my thoughts to revolve around him. I came to visit my cousin. (Well, that and Mom had some kind of interview with someone to fulfill the role of their lawyer. Which seems a bit extreme, I know. Who would fly someone who lived in the U.S. all the way to Japan just to interview them, to see if they'd suit you as a lawyer? Well, I can answer that. Rich people, apparently. Plus, Mom is like, one of the top lawyers in the U.S., so…)

Sometimes, my stupid brain disobeys me. Like at the present moment. Because, I was starting to reconstruct Hikaru's face in my mind's eye. I shook my head to get rid of the image. No thinking of him! There wasn't any use in it anyway. No use in wondering what he had been doing all this time, or how he looked now compared to in the seventh grade, or if he still smiled the same way…NO! Bad Danielle! No wondering! No use, remember?! I mean, it wasn't like I was going to see him. That chance was slim-to-none. And I was only staying a week tops. So, yeah, no use. Telling myself that, did _not _stop my brain from flashing an image of a seventh grade Hikaru smiling slyly across my mind's eye, though. I'm gonna go crazy! Maybe, if I hit my head _really _hard on the wall, I'd forget entirely…

"HELLO! Earth to Dani!" I snapped back to reality as my twin waved her hand in front of my eyes.

"Sorry." I smiled apologetically. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay Miss Space Cadet. As I was saying before you decided to lose yourself in your thoughts; let's split up." She suggested. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. Sounds good. That way we can find Haruhi faster." I smiled at her again.

She gave me the same smile back, "Cool. Meet me back here in an hour if you don't find her!" She ordered as she turned around and started to walk away.

I cupped my right hand around my mouth and called, "Thanks for the orders Miss Pushy!" She turned around, flashed me one last smile, and then disappeared into the throng of shoppers. I chuckled to myself as I took off in the opposite direction.

When we arrived at Uncle Ranka's house, he had informed us that Haruhi was shopping today because there was a sale or something. Therefore, Delia and I decided to find her ourselves instead of just waiting for her to get back.

Now we were both searching the mall. I was near the clothing area. I wandered aimlessly throughout the racks, checking out the clothes while keeping an eye out for Haruhi. I was trying to decide between a black and red scarf when someone grabbed my arm, which startled me and made me jump.

"There you are!" A guy's voice that I didn't recognize sounded behind me. I spun around. "It's 3:17! You promised to perform at 3:20! Let's go!" He exclaimed as he grabbed my right arm and started to drag me behind him.

"W-what?!" I exclaimed quietly. I wasn't really good with people in general, not to mention my fear of new people. That's why I hate crowds. Delia loves new people. She's social, I'm anti-social. Sometimes, our tastes were different.

"You promised to perform a song on the stage in the middle of the mall, remember?" He asked. I raised my eyebrows.

"No I didn't!" I said as I shook my head to emphasize my point.

He frowned at me as he pulled me behind curtains. "It had to be you! There aren't many foreigners milling about today, and you have the same clothes on." He said as he shoved a mic into my hand. Wha…? Wait…Delia. It was Delia. He thinks I'm Delia! This _is _something that she would do. "Okay! It's 3:20! Good luck!" And he pushed me onto the stage. After the initial shock of exposure, I clumsily stumbled to center stage as music started to pour from the speakers. I panicked briefly about not knowing what the song was, until I listened more closely to the intro of the song my sister chose. I almost sighed in relief. It's a good thing she chose this song. Well, it was our favorite. You And I, by Anarbor. There weren't many people gathered around the stage, so I didn't have a heart attack. I knew that I had to sing. It was that, or…Just stand there and do nothing. That'd probably be worse. As the beginning of the song neared, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and steeled my resolve:

_"____Without you, there's no reason for my story  
And when I'm with you I can always act the same  
____Forever, yeah if we're together  
We can make it better_

___You and I__  
____We never get to sleep we're up all day__  
____We're overworked and under paid__  
____You and I__  
____We're always stuck in repeat day by day__  
____Watching time drift away as we burn away_

___Without you, there's no reason for my story__  
____And when I'm with you I can always act the same__  
____Forever, yeah if we're together_  
___We can make it better_

___You and I__  
____We've never felt so right__  
____That just might be just what I need…"_

I waited for the echo.

___(to get me through the night)_

_"____You and I  
We're the perfect fit you've got me hooked  
So then I could never never quit, I just burn away…_

___Without you, there's no reason for my story__  
____And when I'm with you I can always act the same__  
____Forever, yeah if we're together__  
____We can make it better…"_

I decided it was time for me to open my eyes and when I did, what I saw shocked me. People were crowded around the stage in the mall, smiling and watching me sing. Some were even mouthing the words. I smiled back at them, and continued:

___"Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh_

___Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh…"_

Here I nodded my head and made a, 'come on,' gesture with the hand that wasn't holding the mic. People in the crowd started hopping up and down, as if they were at a real concert.

___"Without you, there's no reason for my story__  
____And when I'm with you I can always act the same__  
____Forever, yeah if we're together__  
____We can make it... We can make it..."_

_Here people started to sing along with me._

_"____Without you, there's no reason for my story  
And when I'm with you I can always act the same  
Forever, yeah if we're together  
We can make it... We can make it..._

___Without you, there's no reason for my story__  
____And when I'm with you I can always act the same__  
____Forever, yeah if we're together__  
____We can make it better!_

___Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh!__"_

I started to hop up and down and pumped my fist in the air while singing the last part.

_"____Oh oh oh-oh oh oh-oh!"_

I was panting as the music trailed off. The crowd started to cheer and clap and some even called, "Encore! Encore!" I smiled back at them.

"Thank you!" I chirped happily. Then the person who had shoved me onto the stage came out and I handed him the mic. I was about to exit the stage when the announcer guy caught my arm and pulled me back to center stage.

"The singing contest is now closed! The winner is clear!" His voice boomed into the mic as the crowd quieted down to hear what he had to say. He took my right arm and raised it high up in the air as he said, "First place goes to Delia Fujioka!" He exclaimed with a big smile. (My sister had signed up for it in the first place.) My eyes widened as the crowd burst into more cheers and clapping. Someone came onto the stage holding a gold trophy and an envelope. "Here's your trophy and your prize!" He shoved the trophy and the envelope into my hands. I stared at him wide-eyed.

"T-thank you, but may I ask what the prize is?" I asked in confusion.

The announcer beamed down at me, "It's a 50,000 yen gift card for any kind of clothing made by the famous fashion designer Yuzuha Hitachiin!" He exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock at the name. "Congrats, and thank you for participating." He thanked me.

"Oh. Uh…I mean…You're welcome?" My voice rose a bit at the end of the sentence turning it into a question as I bowed to him. I heard him chuckle, as I gave him one last smile before heading for the stairs and proceeding to climb down from the stage. By this time, most of the crowd had dispersed. Only a few people remained. After I was back on the ground, I held up the envelope with my 'prize' in it and sighed. God must hate me. Really. Here I am trying to forget the Hitachiin's _specifically _(Or, at least a certain someone) and he sends me _this. _Wait. That sounded whiny. I try really _really _hard to not sound whiny most of the time, I mean, it's just annoying.

Okay. I breathed in deeply through my nose. You'll just have to deal Danielle. Just deal. Although, I wonder what I should do with the gift certificate, I mean, I wasn't even sure how much 50,000 yen was worth in American money, so it really held no value to me. (I was a bit fuzzy on currency, since I hadn't been to Japan in years. Heck, I was lucky I still knew how to speak Japanese…)

"HEY!" All of a sudden, someone slapped me in between my shoulder blades from behind. It startled me so much that I stumbled forward, barely catching myself from face planting it on the ground.

When I regained my balance, I spun around ready to question the stranger's sanity. I stopped when I saw who it was.

"GAH! DON'T DO THAT!" I shouted at her (So loud, in fact that several people turned towards us in curiosity) as I placed my right hand over my heart. "What were you trying to do, give me a heart attack?!" I asked as I tried to calm my heart down.

She shook her head impatiently, "I wouldn't have had to do that if you paid more attention to the world around you, instead of wandering off in La-La Land!" She defended herself. Oh. I guess I _had _been absorbed in my thoughts… "I mean, I called your name at least FIVE TIMES." She said irritation leaking into her voice.

"Sorry, sorry." I apologized. I gave her my best innocent smile, "Am I forgiven?" I asked as I batted my eyelashes innocently at her. All at once, her expression switched from irritation to amusement.

She smiled sweetly at me, "Sure you are." She humored me. I squinted at her in suspicion. She _never _forgives so easily. She doesn't have my qualms about grudges. "As long as you buy me ice-cream!" She sing-songed as she skipped away, in the direction of the food court. Of course, I thought as I shook my head at her back.

"Sure, sure." I muttered under my breath. I did an eye roll, "You're such a weirdo!" I called to her. She turned around, grinned at me in response, and then proceeded in skipping towards the ice-cream stand.

I was trailing behind her when I heard someone say, "AWWWW! HOOOW CUUTE!" I froze in mid step. Why did that voice sound somewhat familiar….? Seeing, as I was no longer right beside her, my twin turned around, spotted me, frowned, and then came back to where I was.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, "Is something wrong?" She asked concern apparent in her expression. I didn't answer her question. Instead, I slowly turned towards the direction of the voice. What I saw made my heart nearly stop beating. There was a blond boy staring at Del and me. He had deep blue, almost violet eyes; he was tall, and very handsome. That wasn't what made me freeze though. It was the way he looked. I remembered him…From the time I spent at Ouran. He probably still went there. To the very school that held memories that I was trying to forget. He started towards us, and my heart started beating again at top speed. My pulse was so loud in my ears that I didn't even hear my sister trying to get me to respond to one of her questions. Del didn't notice him because she was too busy trying to figure out what was wrong with me. As he was walking towards us, time seemed to slow around me and sound ceased to exist. Everyone who were in my peripherals had become blurred around the edges. Silently I started to panic.

What am I suppose to do now? His voice, his face…The way he walked…He was _definitely _from Ouran. He continued getting closer. Only five feet away now. What if…What if I see…The Hitachiins? I shook myself mentally. No. They didn't associate with anyone other than themselves, or at least when I went to school there. So why would they be here? Yet...I still felt uneasy. I had that feeling of impending doom that you get right before you trip and sprain your ankle. (What? You don't feel that before you sprain your ankle? Hmmn. Well, I do…)

_SMACK!_

The sound resounded in my mind, as I stumbled forward, thrown off kilter because of the sudden interruption of my frantic thoughts.

"Gah!" I grunted as I regained my center for the second time today. That was when I felt the sharp and lingering buzzing sting on the back of my head. I started to massage it (to soothe it) as I spun around and glared at my twin. "What was that for?!" I grumbled at her.

She sighed, as if in relief, before glaring back at me, "I thought a zombie apocalypse had befallen human kind, there for a minute. I mean, considering how you weren't responding to _anything _I was saying." She replied caustically. Then her eyes locked onto something over my shoulder. "Can I help you buddy?" She asked someone who was behind me. My back stiffened as I heard his voice.

"Ah! No! I mean…I just wanted to speak to you two lovely ladies! After that display of deep sisterly affection that you both just showed…It was just so cute!" He said in a cheery voice. The guy seemed hyped up on something. My sister's eyebrow twitched. She despised that word. A lot. Even to the point of banning it in regular conversation. However, before she could strangle him, he continued speaking. "Besides I saw your performance on stage and I thought it was marvelous!" He gushed as I heard him step closer to my sister. I saw the muscles in my sister's jaw working. He mistook her for me. Ouch. Just as I thought she was going to kill him, she slammed down her poker face. And then smiled. A really sweet smile. This was going south fast.

"Did you? I thought it was a bit non-inspirational myself."

"Oh no! You were great! Absolutely lovely! You sang with the voice of an angel and the grace of a lioness!" He said enthusiastically. Grace of a lioness…? I saw her eyebrow twitch. I inched my way out of her line of fire, then slowly turned towards the blond.

"Well, normally I'd thank someone for such a nice compliment." She shot him another charming smile, "However, when someone mistakes me for someone I'm not, I don't give them the time of day." Her smile widened as his slowly morphed into a frown of confusion. "So, I suggest you leave us alone. Or I'll resort to bodily harm." She was smiling but her eyes promised death. With much blood shed. I grimaced. The last thing I needed was for Del to get into a fight with a kid from Ouran. He was rich. He'd sue.

"Give the kid a break. There's no way he could've known." I said quietly. My voice grabbed the blond boy's attention. She gave me a glare. I shot her a pleading look. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine." I smiled at her.

The blond looked from me to her a few times. "Well, you two really are identical."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Delia muttered under her breath.

"I find twins so interesting….Well…Good twins anyway. Not evil doppelgangers. You two must be good girls. I really came to speak to you because of your last name." He smiled at us cheerily. I fought down the panic rising in my chest. He couldn't remember me. Please! Don't remember me!

"Of course. May I ask you why?" I asked politely. Delia gave me a sidelong glance. Ouran etiquette was kicking back in. He smiled dazzlingly.

"Well, I just thought it was interesting! Your name, 'Delia Fujioka,' is so close to my darling daughter's name!" He smiled serenely. I blinked. My sister twitched but I gave her a silencing look. So, it really had nothing to do with me once attending Ouran? Oh good. I almost sighed in relief. That's a good…Wait. Daughter? I glanced over him again. He couldn't be but a few years older than me and he has a daughter?!

I stifled my surprise and smiled at him, "Her name's Delia?" I asked him.

"No."

"…Then how is her name like mi- I mean Delia's?" Del asked curiosity leaking into her voice. She was playing along with the name switch.

The boy merely smiled. "Her last name's Fujioka." He replied.

"…"

"Then, your last name is Fujioka…?" Delia asked. Could he be related to us? Him?

"Oh, no. My name is Tamaki Suoh." He announced enthusiastically.

"Wait. How does your daughter have a different last name than you…?" I asked in confusion.

"Oh, Haruhi isn't my biological daughter of course! She's like my daughter!" He exclaimed. I stared at him for a moment. Haruhi Fujioka. How many Haruhi Fujiokas live in Japan?

"…Is she here with you?" Delia probed. He nodded. We exchanged looks.

"She's the cutest most darling little daughter ever! I'd love for you to meet her! I'm sure you'd just love-" He was cut off by a monotone voice.

"Are you telling strangers that I'm your daughter again Sempai?" The voice asked. I looked up in shock. With all of the excitement this Tamaki caused I hadn't been paying attention to who was coming and going. My eyes landed on a brunette with short hair, big doe-like brown eyes, a thin frame, wearing boy-shorts and a blue T-shirt. Haruhi. OUR Haruhi. I stared at her in utter amazement for a moment. I was so distracted by seeing my cousin that I failed to notice any of the other people who had walked up to us with her.

"HARI!" My sister and I shouted at the top of our lungs in unison. Then, I flung myself into her arms. I squeezed the air out of her lungs and then let go, only for Del to repeat my actions. As soon as Del extracted herself from our cousin, Haruhi looked at us. Her former severe look softened into a small smile.

"Del and Dani." She smiled at us. I beamed a smile at her.

"Yep. Definitely our Hari." Del spoke to me.

"Certainly." I replied. Del shot me a look. Translation: _Hmmn. Interesting._

I raised an eyebrow at her. _What is it?_

She slightly shook her head. _Never mind._

I shrugged. Not telepathy. We just know each other really well.

Haruhi, being the super observant person she is, didn't miss our small exchange.

Instead of questioning us, however, she decided to ignore it.

"What're you two doing here?" She asked us as she cocked her head to the side. I was about to answer her when Del beat me to it.

"You don't know?" Del asked Haruhi as her eyes grew wide. I kept my face completely neutral. Haruhi shook her head. Delia's face morphed into an expression of distress. "Your father didn't tell you…?" She asked, frowning. Haruhi's expression didn't change, as she shook her head in response. "Oh." She said quietly, and then peeked over at me, worry in her eyes. What was she doing? I remained stoic.

"….What am I supposed to know?" Haruhi asked as she looked between Del and me. Hell if I know. Del chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at me nervously. I started to sweat. Did I really want to be apart of whatever Del was planning? Not really.

"Well, I think, maybe, you'd better ask my sister." She said worriedly.

….Wait a second. She just made me a part of her plan. Crap. Haruhi turned towards me. On the outside I appeared unmoved, unaffected, disinterested even. Inwardly…I was having a panic attack. What should I do? I opened my mouth to make something up, when a sudden thought hit me. I hate liars. A lot. And whether it be a joke or not, this would still be considered lying. Since lying to Haruhi was out of the question I did the next best thing.

"…No idea what she's talking about. Spouting off some of her own special brand of crazy, probably." Yep. I stayed neutral. Del could do this on her own. She shot me a look. I shrugged. Haruhi's lips turned up slightly at the corners.

"Still hate liars I see." She replied. Yep. I spent years perfecting my stone-face, and Haruhi saw through it in five minutes. She read me like an open book.

"Of course."

Delia, realizing that whatever-she-had-wanted-to-do, was down the toilet, dropped the concerned look and shot me a glare.

"You're no fun at all." She pouted at me and then turned to Haruhi, "Mom is going through some kind of trial to fill in a position at a big company. She had to bring us along." Del sighed as if it were the biggest inconvenience of her life. I rolled my eyes at her. "Thank goodness we'll only be here a week, maybe. I mean no offence to you or anything, but Japanese people are weird. And not in a cool way." Del glared at the Tamaki guy as she said this. He didn't seem to notice.

"Wait…You two adorable ladies know my daughter Haruhi?" He cried in excitement.

I nodded my head cautiously. He was crazy. No doubt about it.

"Wow. What incredible deduction skills you have Mr. Holmes." Del deadpanned.

"So my little girl _does _have girlfriends! Oh happy day!" He squealed and then promptly enveloped the closest unfortunate person in a hug. That unfortunate person happened to be me. He picked me up and spun me around in pure childish excitement. I froze immediately, my body becoming completely stiff from the contact. I disliked my personal bubble being popped. A lot. When someone crosses a line with me, I usually just go limp. Del tells me all the time that it's not the right reaction. I know it isn't, but my character doesn't allow me to speak up. Don't get me wrong, if someone was trying to harm me, I'd definitely yell and fight, but other than that, I see no reason to create conflict.

He held me at arms length, "Let me look at you! You're one of Haruhi's commoner friends? What a strange coincidence with your last names!" He exclaimed cheerily.

My sister threw her hands up in the air, "I can't take this fool's sheer stupidity anymore! I mean, how dumb do you have to be to not connect-" She was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. She quickly grabbed her Htc from her back pocket and looked at the screen. Her face told me all I needed to know. Ryan was calling her.

I gave her The Look,___"Hermanita,-"_I began in Spanish, but she had already answered the phone. Her whole disposition seemed to change as she talked to him.

******"Yo yourself. What's up?"**Her tone was sweet. It was sickening.******"Really?"**Her face lit up in excitement.******"I can't believe-"**Her eyes flicked towards me. She mouthed, 'Gimmie a moment.' I opened my mouth to protest, but she was already walking away before I could utter a sound. I snapped my mouth shut and shied away from the sting I felt in my chest. Best to deal with that later.

"Where's she going?" Haruhi's voice pulled my attention to her.

I shrugged.

"It's strange for her to just walk away as you were going to speak. Why did she-" I cut my cousin off.

"Haruhi." The tone of my voice made her focus her attention on me, instead of looking off in the direction Del had disappeared. I looked her in the eye. "I am not my sister's keeper." I said evenly. Haruhi paused for a moment.

"...I see." Her expression told me, that I'd have to explain to her later exactly what was going on.

"I feel as if I've missed something." Tamaki's voice broke through our silent exchange.

"Not at all, Sempai. If you had been paying attention, you would've understood."

"But...I WAS PAYING ATTENTION!" He exclaimed loudly.

"Sempai, you're making a scene again."

"MY DAUGHTER DOESN'T-" He was cut off by a guy who was wearing glasses.

"Tamaki, Haruhi. Aren't you forgetting us?" Glasses Dude asked. Haruhi, as if suddenly remembering her manners snapped her fingers.

"That's right. You've met Tamaki-sempai already so.." She gestured behind me. I felt my eyebrows furrow as I turned around and took a step towards Haruhi so that I was standing beside her. "That's Kyoya Otori-sempai," Glasses Dude, "Mitskuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka, they like to be called Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai," A ridiculously tall dark haired guy and a ridiculously short child-like blonde boy. Whoa. Opposites. "And those two are Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin." My world stopped spinning. In front of me stood my two worst nightmares-and they were gingers. They stood a good head taller than me and their hair was cut shorter, but otherwise looked the same; same colored hair, same lazy amber colored cat eyes, same condescending smirks...

"Kill me with a feather." I muttered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that." Haruhi leaned in towards me. I waved it off with my right hand.

"Never mind." I turned towards the group of people, sliding my stone-face into place and mustering the warmest smile I could, "It's nice to meet you. Please take care of me." I bowed to them, some of the Japanese etiquette I had learned a couple of years ago kicking in again.

"Of course! Any friend of my darling daughter's will always be treated well!" Tamaki exclaimed jovially as he grabbed my right hand.

"...Right." I pulled my hand away.

"C'mon Boss, she obviously doesn't like being touched." The twin voices cut at me like a knife. I hadn't seen them in two whole years. I thought I was past that chapter of my life. Yet, hearing their voices now, was like ripping the dressing off of a fresh wound. I forced myself to maintain my calm.

They turned to me and started to scrutinize. Kaoru walked up to my left side as Hikaru walked up to my right. They leaned in close. I felt Hikaru's stare on me. I stood completely rigid.

"Hey, don't we-" Kaoru started.

"-know you-" Hikaru interjected.

"-from somewhere?" They finished together. Well that part of them hasn't changed; they always did that in middle school.

"No." The reply came out a bit more sharp than I had intended it to be. They looked taken aback. I smiled in an apologetic way, "No, I don't think so." Hikaru squinted at me. My pulse was rushing in my ears. I was relieved that they didn't recognize me, but also a little bit, angry. So I left no impression on them what-so-ever? I ground my teeth together.

"What was your name again?" Hikaru asked.

From the corner of my eye I saw Haruhi start to open her mouth only to be cut off by Tamaki.

"This is Delia Fujioka! Haruhi's friend!" He announced enthusiastically.

To the side, Haruhi sighed deeply, "She's not my friend. She's my cousin."

There was a moment of silence and then...

"WHAT? But you look nothing alike! You never told me you had twin cousins!"Tamaki shouted in shock.

"It never came up in conversation..."

Tamaki crouched down-in the middle of a MALL- and started to cultivate mushrooms. What the...?

"Ah, yes, Delia. The other one was Danielle Fujioka, she attended Ouran for a year during middle school, correct?" I froze as Glasses Dude started to write things in a black ledger he had pulled out of seemingly nowhere.

"Danielle..." Kaoru started.

"-Fujioka." Hikaru finished. They exchanged a look. It seemed to be one of a mix of recognition, surprise and...was that a bit of fear...?

This didn't escape my almost too sharp cousin. Haruhi tilted her head, "Yes, do you know her?"

There was a pregnant pause, and just as Kaoru was opening his mouth to answer, Tamaki cut him off.

"She would be the same age as these two devils!I thought you two looked familiar! I remember; your sister was in their class!" Tamaki exclaimed to me enthusiastically, recovering, oddly enough, super quickly from his former depression. I swallowed hard.

"Is that true?" Haruhi directed her question at Hikaru and Kaoru.

Slowly, they both dipped their heads in acknowledgment. Then Kaoru directed his gaze at me. I froze inside again.

"Yeah. We remember your sister." He admitted, with a look in his eye I couldn't quite decipher. He wasn't spitting acid or spewing fire, so I guess neither of them hated me...

Haruhi shook her head, "Danielle is-" She was cut off by Tamaki once more, which earned him an irritated glare.

"Oh, I'd like to know where she ran off to as well!" Tamaki bubbled. All eyes were on me.

Haruhi looked at me expectantly, probably waiting for me to roll my eyes and correct them in a nonchalant manner, which is what I'd usually do in any other situation, but...Everything was so overwhelming all of the people, Hikaru and Kaoru (the former staring at my face) that I panicked.

"She's talking to Ryan." Haruhi's gaze fixed on me immediately. Technically, I wasn't saying Del was me, so I wasn't lying, right...?

"Who's Ryan?" Haruhi played along. Mostly just out of curiosity.

My face scrunched up in disdain, "Her...boyfriend." The words made my mouth feel dirty.

Haruhi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Boyfriend? I've missed so much. But, that aside, it doesn't seem like you're too fond of him."

"That would be because I am not..."

"Why?"

"Long story."

"Give me the short version."

"He's scum." I felt my face stay expressionless, but my insides were as tremulous as an Ocean. Ryan wasn't a human being. My emotions must have leaked into my eyes, because I saw Haruhi's expression change to one of worry.

"Is she in danger?"

"I shouldn't think so; she has a tough skin." I reassured my cousin. "What after the others..." I muttered, mostly to myself. Haruhi's right eyebrow raised in a question. "She has terrible taste in men." I concluded resolutely.

"Just what is _that_ suppose to mean?" Hikaru's voice snapped from my right. I turned towards him in confusion.

"Well, usually, that means, she always chooses guys that wind up hurting her in the end." I felt myself sigh, "Which means, _I _am always the one picking up the pieces and putting her back together. All because when it comes to a cute face she-" I snapped my mouth closed. I had almost forgotten an entire group of people were listening to me. I narrowed my eyes at the older twin, "Why do you care anyway?"

He seemed somewhat taken aback, "I...I don't." He said quietly, "I don't." He repeated a moment later, more firmly.

"Okay, then." I turned to Haruhi. "I hate to be rude, but we need to get going. Mom's back at Uncle Ranka's and we brought you gifts."

Her eyes brightened, "Aunt Mai is there now? You guys didn't need to do that. Haven't I already told you...?"

"Yes she is! And of course we did!" I wrapped my arms around her small figure, "My poor frugal cousin! You must have some kind of luxury in life!" I smiled at her, "It's tons of clothes," She opened her mouth and I beat her to it, "It's fine, I made them pick out things I knew you'd wear." I assured her. A half smile lifted the right corner of her lips.

"You always have everything planned out, huh?" Haruhi's eyes smiled at me.

"Why go through life unprepared? Having a plan makes my days more efficient." I nodded to her.

"...You sound more responsible than when I last saw you."

"Time does that."

"Your eyes are friendlier."

"Life experience, cousin."

"That usually makes people bitter. But, I suppose it's right that life would affect you like that," she touched my shoulder, "You always were the exception to the rule."

I shrugged, "Let's get going. It was nice meeting you all." I bowed politely.

Tamaki looked at me, "You're leaving? You'll be here for at least three weeks, right? You should come and visit the Host Club!" He grinned enthusiastically.

"...Sure."

"You'll come? YAY!" He cried and hugged me. I twitched. I made a half hearted promise. If Del didn't want to go, then I wouldn't either because...well...of two certain someones...

Suddenly two arms snaked around my waist, "We'll look forward to seeing you again. And your sister, too." My muscles tightened at the sound of their voices. I slipped out of their grasp easily, nodded my acknowledgment to the rest of the people present and walked ahead of Haruhi, gesturing for her to come with me. She followed.

I knew that I shouldn't, but I looked back and witnessed the almost shocked expression of the twins' faces. I turned about face and marched away from the twin terrors.

They were a part of my angry past. And I intend to keep them that way.

* * *

******A/n: How'd you guys like it, eh? Good, not so good...? Give me constructive criticism~ :)**

Language Guide:

"This is Japanese."

******"This is English."**

___"This is song lyrics, or Spanish."_


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